MPLAD Fund Scam: Gauhati HC Dismisses Bail Plea of ACS Sharmistha Borah

Gauhati High Court on Wednesday dismissed an anticipatory bail plea of ACS officer Sharmistha Borah who was one of the officers involved in Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan’s Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund scam case.

ACS officer Sharmistha Borah was Secretary to the Home and Political Department of the Assam Government.

The court will hear the permanent bail on May 22 in connection with the case and has directed the police to submit case diary on the same.

Public Prosecutor Makhan Phookan argued for the government before the court in the case.

On Tuesday, the four suspended ACS officers in the MPLAD fund scam appeared in CM Special Vigilance in Assam.

On March 18, ACS officers were suspended in connection with fund scam in Assam.

According to sources, a fund was allocated from MP Bhuyan’s MPLAD fund for the construction of road in Assam’s Barpeta. However, the bill was released without completion of 75 per cent of the work.

The scam came to light when the CM’s Special Vigilance cell conducted an investigation where it was found that the four suspended officers signed the bill before completion of 75 percent of the road construction work.

The following are the four ACS officers who were suspended:

• Home and Political Department, Assam, Secretary Sharmistha Borah

• Additional Commissioner of Kamrup Metropolitan Sukanya Borah, Hemanta Kumar Dutta

• Tinsukia Zila Parishad CEO Munindra Bordoloi

It may be mentioned that an amount of Rs. 28 lakhs were allocated from the Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan's MPLAD Fund for the construction of three roads in Barpeta.

Also Read: MPLAD Fund Scam: 4 Suspended ACS Officers to Appear in CM Vigilance Today